See How This Extreme Sports Fest Used a Hilton Hotel as a 'Jumping-Off Point'

During the festival's "dyno" (slang for “dynamic") competition, climbers used momentum to reach the next hold.Photo: Jeremie PerreaultVIRGINIA BEACH, VA.—Earlier this month, Canada’s largest action sports festival, Jackalope, headed across the border to host a U.S. edition in Virginia Beach June 2-4. Produced by Tribu Expérientiel, a Montreal-based event production company that specializes in action sports experiences, the three-day event welcomed athletes in skateboarding, bouldering, BASE jumping, and skimboarding, along with fans, to the sandy shores.

“Over the past couple of years, our quest to find a home for the Jackalope Festival led us to the city of Virginia Beach,” explained Tribu's CEO and founder and producer of Jackalope Micah Desforges. “During our meeting with the representatives from Virginia Beach, we were immediately struck by the rich legacy of action sports in the area. Notably, they boast the longest-running surfing competition and a vibrant skateboarding scene, complete with impressive skate parks and thriving skate shops.”

During the event, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk showed off his skills on a giant 13-foot-high vert ramp, which fans were also able to skate during an open session. Expert BASE (building, antenna, span, or earth) jumpers took off from the 200-foot-tall Hilton Oceanfront Hotel, landing on a target set up on the beach. Desforges said that the Tribu team enlisted a local scaffolding company to erect a 13-foot structure on the hotel's roof, which provided the impressive vertical drop.

Brands such as NÜTRL, Twisted Tea, Michelob Ultra, and Monster Energy, which arranged meet-and-greet sessions with athletes, were on-site, along with 50 other vendors. Vans also collaborated with local schools for a community art exposition.

More than 500 athletes and over 50,000 spectators gathered at the event, which was free to attend. “By keeping the festival free for everyone to watch and partake in, we believe it opens doors for new enthusiasts to enter our vibrant world,” Desforges said. He also noted that the production company offers equal cash prizes for both men and women winners.

Organizers have signed a three-year contract with Virginia Beach, so expect the extreme sports festival to return to the Atlantic shoreline next year. Jackalope Montreal will take place Aug. 25-27.

Keep scrolling to see more from the Jackalope festival...